DEKALB — Eastern Michigan (1-6, 0-3 MAC West) didn't win last week, a day after receiver Demarius Reed was found shot to death in the hallway of an off-campus apartment building.

But Tyler Allen did return the opening kickoff for a touchdown, the Eagles' first return TD since Reed scored on a punt return two years earlier.

The way EMU played for coach Ron English in Saturday's 56-28 loss to Ohio impressed today's foe.

"This is hard guys; I've never been through anything like what Coach English is going through in my life," said Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey, whose Huskies host the Eagles at 2:30 p.m. today. "They have our sympathy and our thoughts and prayers with what they are going through.

"That was an emotional deal for them and my hat's off to them for how they came out and played the game. I know the result wasn't what they wanted, but my gosh, to get that news on Friday and then go out and play a game on Saturday, my hat's off to them. So we're going to be getting a good team here with a reason to play and something to point to."

Reed's death could inspire the Eagles against No. 23 NIU (7-0, 3-0). It could also distract them. English referred to Jordan Lynch twice in Monday's Mid-American Conference teleconference, but both times called him "Chandler" when talking about Lynch's record 316-yard rushing day. Chandler Harnish last quarterbacked NIU two years ago.

"Chandler ran for the record last week," English said. "You've got to stop the run game. The way they do it, they know exactly who they want to have the ball and they get him the ball where they want to get him the ball and run the plays they want to run."

The Huskies are running for 305 yards a game, 80 more than anyone else in the MAC. Eastern is 12th out of 13 teams in the MAC in rushing yards allowed (246 per game) and dead last by a full half-yard in yards per carry (6.3).

So, yes, NIU will run against the Eagles, either with Lynch (932 yards on the season) or with bruising running back Cameron Stingily (726).

"Everybody plays us a little different, so you have to see what they are going to give you on that day," Carey said.